Repertory Dance
shares art form
with community
BY NATASHA CHIUNGERIAN
SENIOR PULSE REPORTER
The Department of Dance prepares
budding dancers for possible careers
in the art by offering classes, producing
concerts and hosting guest instructors.
But one group within the department
gives dancers a nearly authentic taste
of the real world—the University of
Oregon Repertory Dance Company.
Currently in its seventh year,
the Dance Company has two main
purposes: to give students a sense
of being in a professional touring
company and to share dance with
Oregon communities through
outreach programs.
"Students can have an experi
ence that is as close to a profession
al touring company as they can,"
Dance Department Chair Jenifer
Craig said. Craig, along with dance
faculty members Rita Honka and
Amy Stoddart, directs the company.
"The other part is students can get
out in the community and bring the
experience to schools for people
who don't see that much dance."
The group is beginning rehearsals
this term after a lengthy audition
process in the fall. To qualify,
members must have good academic
standing and do not need to physical
ly audition if the directors are familiar
with their dancing through classes.
The group's season kicked off with
a surprise guest artist visit from Barry
McNabb, a University alumnus who
started his dance career as a
member of Bob Fosse's "Dancin'" in
New York City. McNabb spent the
first week of this term teaching
Dance Company members three
funky, "Fosse-style" jazz dances to
Nat King Cole's "Route 66," "Star
dust" and "Something Makes Me
Want to Dance With You."They will
perform part of the three-dance suite
at "Lights, Camera, Oregon!" a for
mal, invitation-only fundraiser for
Campaign Oregon: Transforming
Lives, on Jan. 29 in the Moshofsky
Sports Center.
"(Lights, Camera, Oregon!) is a
really exciting opportunity to show
case the department through our
company," Craig said.
During the term, Dance Company
members will learn and rehearse
Lauren Wimer I Senior photographer
Rachel
Carroll
rehearses
with the
University
Repertory
Dance
Company,
a group
in the
Depart
ment of
Dance,
which
will tour
several
cities in
Oregon.
material fortheirfive-day tour March
31 through April 4 in Newport Astoria
and Cannon Beach. Dancers will
perform as well as lead lecture
demonstrations and technique class
es to novice dancers in high school
drama and physical education class
es. Dance Company members and
graduate dance students Marco Davis
and Lowry Champion said the high
school visits are a great way to bring
dance into schools that have suffered
from budget cuts in the arts.
"I joined (the company) to do some
outreach," Lowry said. "I enjoy teach
ing at the college level, but it's good to
go beyond that and teach young peo
ple who may not have dance in their
lives or who may not have been ex
posed to dance."
Following its tour, the company
will appear at Springfield High
School on April 22, the Dougherty
Dance Theatre on April 28 and 29,
and at Cottage Grove's Cottage
Theatre on May 13.
While the group's dancers have dif
ferent career goals, Craig said they "all
wantto be part of the dance world in
some way" after graduating and that
participation in the company prepares
them for dance-related careers by
giving them a taste of the professional
world. For instance, rehearsals are
fast-paced and dancers learn material
in a short period of time. On tour,
dancers are expected to help out with
details such as costuming.
"UORDC is great because you
get to go out and teach and be an
educator," Davis said. "Also, the
directors provide us with a strong
sense of a touring company. We're
treated as professionals."
Champion said her experience
has helped her understand the inner
workings of an outreach-based
dance company.
"For me, I've learned the ins and
outs of an outreach program, and I
can see howto plan tours," she
said. "I have a broader sense of
understanding how that works
beyond just attending rehearsals
and teaching classes."
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